New Desert Assessment Center

Riverside County Human Resources now has its own Employment Testing facility in the Indio Workforce Development Center.  In the past testing schedules for County positions in the Desert relied upon competing for access to a computer room that had many different users.  Now we have our own dedicated assessment testing room with 30 computer stations.  At capacity we can accommodate 90 test candidates a day, which for the public should mean quicker access to testing dates. 

Positions Tested

Candidate knowledge and skills are assessed for a number of different types of County positions.  The subject contents of the County’s pre-qualifying tests can be seen by clicking type of position (for example Clerical).

Also, I wanted to let you know that our Office Assistant and Accounting Assistant positions are now only tested online.

Dealing with Test Anxiety

Are you nervous about taking tests? Feeling a bit anxious and stressed right before a test is a normal response to a challenge about to be faced. The stress becomes a problem however, when anxiety interferes with your ability to do well on a test. Nothing will replace the strategy of walking into a test fully prepared, but since the “County’s assessments examine your existing job related skills, many of which you can’t really study for, so you may feel some test anxiety just from that knowledge.

Listed below are some strategies in advance of the test, and to get you into the test session without complications.   To begin don’t overlook your physical health in preparation for the test, or end up forgetting things that might create more anxiety on test day.

• Exercise will reduce feelings of anxiety and help improve your memory.
• Get a good night's sleep the night before the exam.
• Don't go to the exam with an empty stomach.  Fresh fruits and vegetables are often recommended to reduce stress. Avoid processed foods, artificial sweeteners, soda pop, chocolate, eggs, fried foods, junk foods, pork, red meat, sugar, white flour products, and foods containing preservatives or heavy spices.  (Yes… this does mean that Twinkies are out.) 
• Get familiar with the subject(s) covered in test battery. If you are weak in some content areas, it’s a good idea to review.  In the case of a manual skill like typing you should practice, practice, and practice in advance to get the best score possible.
• Wear layered clothing.  Room temperature may vary. 
• Wear a watch and pace yourself.  Determine the number of questions and calculate the average time allotted to each question. 

·         Don’t forget to bring your: 

o        Valid, Government-issued photo I.D. (such as a driver’s license). AND

o        Resume on plain white paper, detailing all work experience.  

• If you are a Veteran, also bring a copy of your DD-214 and letter of service-related disability (if applicable).
• Be prepared to state what job you are interested in when you arrive. 

Call to Schedule

To schedule your appointment for an assessment test in Indio, please phone (951) 955-5844.  Tell them you got the information from me on Desert Jobs Blog… and they will probably say, “Where?”; “Murrel who?”